Abel Acevedo

Student

“I feel like I’m in a time and a place at SMC where I’m living in the present, and I’m ready to begin my life.”

Art is many things to many people. A catharsis, an approach to deep feelings, a discipline, a spiritual voyage, and a demanding challenge. To Abel Acevedo, who lost his father when very young, art is all of these things, and more. It’s a way of life. “I’ve dealt with the things from the past that were holding me back, and I’m proud of the person I’m becoming. There is guilt, love, and hatred that I can express through my art,” says Abel. “These are the emotions that came into place on my way to becoming a man. And I feel like I’m finally ready to assume that role.”

The nature of his own creativity has been Abel’s quest at SMC. “I began here studying things that I liked, like psychology and art, and looking for my strengths,” he says. “I didn’t want to plunge ahead with a full academic load until I was certain of where I wanted to go. That would have meant taking out loans, and I don’t need debts. I like eating,” he adds with a hearty laugh. “I’ve kind of gotten used to it, and I’m still afraid of turning 30, being poor, and not having gotten anywhere in life.” But Abel’s fears are being pushed into the background by his teachers.

“The best thing about SMC is the people who teach here,” says Abel. “Every professor I’ve had has obviously loved what they’re doing here. Ms. Lopez and Mr. Whitfield in the arts have been real role models for me. They pursue their own art, and teaching has just become a part of it for them. Because of what they’ve shown me,” says Abel, “I think I could be very gratified showing other people—in the classroom—what they can accomplish in art.”

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